A few questions have come up recently regarding Events, so I thought it may be good to post something here that is basically a reminder of what can be found in the current Event guidelines.

A common issue we see is the inclusion things that are commercial or promotional in the title or description.

Here is what the guidelines say---

Quote:

Cache owners can include basic information about the location on the cache page, even if it is a commercial location. Event caches, like other geocaches, cannot be published if they do not meet the commercial cache guideline.

What that means is that you can include the name and address of the venue where your event is being held. That's about it.

Anything else such as links to the venue, menu lists, promotional wording (Great food, fantastic burgers, etc.), prices, and such cannot be included on the Event page. Events are about social gatherings held by geocachers and for geocachers.

I also have seen some Events submitted that had me wondering if they were 'by geocachers and for geocachers'

Again, from the guidelines--

Quote:

Event caches are gatherings that are organized by geocachers and are open to other geocachers.

It doesn't take much to meet this part by simply including statements such as "Meet and Greet", "......discuss geocaching", etc.

If you only list the venue name and a time we most likely will ask you to add some geocaching related content to the Event page.

While it's not specifically addressed in the guidelines, please put an ending time for your event even if it it approximate. It's just a good practice so attendees have an idea of how long you intend to be there.

Remember----

Quote:

An event cache should not be set up for the sole purpose of drawing together geocachers for an organized geocache search. Such group hunts are best organized using a discussion forum or an email distribution list.

Please archive your event in a timely manner:

Quote:

After an event has passed, the listing is archived by the cache owner.

And finally, remember that every cache/event page submitted is reviewed on it's own merit against the current guidelines. Maybe something slipped by us in the past or we made a mistake. It happens. We're human.

I'm very frustrated and confused. In the last week I have been trying to get a new hide published. The reason I'm given is that GC2YCCK is in conflict and is active. GC2YCCK is in Edina my new hide is many miles away in Bloomington. GC2YCCK requires the cacher find five other caches to get codes to solve it. Three of the five caches have been archived making GC2YCCK not solvable. This includes the cache that was close to my new hide, it was archived this week. There are no other caches within 525 feet of my new hide, including puzzles.

I have tried to contact the CO who is a teenager and is no longer active in geocaching. I don't know what else to do. The only information I get from the reviewer is what I stated above. Can anyone tell me why my cache can't be published? Please help as this makes no sense to me. Thank You

Far be it from me to question the reviewers but I think they made a mistake here. I don't think there's a conflict. GC2YCCK shouldn't have listed those other caches' coordinates as waypoints. They're not stages of a multi, but separate caches, and as you mentioned, the cache that is in conflict has been archived.

Also I think you could put an SBA on GC2YCCK since it's not solvable anymore.

Rustynails wrote:

Dear Friends,

I'm very frustrated and confused. In the last week I have been trying to get a new hide published. The reason I'm given is that GC2YCCK is in conflict and is active. GC2YCCK is in Edina my new hide is many miles away in Bloomington. GC2YCCK requires the cacher find five other caches to get codes to solve it. Three of the five caches have been archived making GC2YCCK not solvable. This includes the cache that was close to my new hide, it was archived this week. There are no other caches within 525 feet of my new hide, including puzzles.

I have tried to contact the CO who is a teenager and is no longer active in geocaching. I don't know what else to do. The only information I get from the reviewer is what I stated above. Can anyone tell me why my cache can't be published? Please help as this makes no sense to me. Thank You

I've tried very hard to be a good cache hunter, and I try to play by the rules as I know them. In the past month I have posted about a dozen "Needs Maintenance" logs and maybe nine "Needs Archived" logs. I definitely don't just post these willy nilly because I didn't find the cache. To put those numbers in context: I've logged more than 135 Finds and 20 DNFs in that same amount of time.

The last two or three "Needs Archived" logs seem to have been ignored by the reviewers. No action taken, no notes logged in reply. One of the notes I refer to was posted October 9th.

So here is my question: What is the appropriate means to follow up and find out why these notes have been ignored? I am asking because if they are being missed, then the reviewers should know. And if they are being ignored for a reason, I would love to be educated and learn how to be a better player.

What is the appropriate means to follow up and find out why these notes have been ignored? I am asking because if they are being missed, then the reviewers should know. And if they are being ignored for a reason, I would love to be educated and learn how to be a better player.

No need to follow up. The reviewers will look at them. They have plenty of other things to do and just because someone logs a 'Needs Archived' it doesn't mean that it Needs Archived this week. They will get to it and review the cache. They may feel that there is no reason to archive it and I don't believe they have to write a note or anything. Just don't worry about it. They will deal with it.

I don't know any of the details of why you're posting needs maintenance or needs archived, but the ratio that you're submitting is way higher than I've done (looks like more than 1 in 10 caches?) I have around 1300 finds and I have 1 needs archived and 3 needs maintenance.

I usually only post needs maintenance if there are serious problems with the cache (broken, no lid . . . ) If the log is wet or full I might mention that in a found it log, or ideally I will just replace it myself with the supplies I have. That is one of the nicest things you can do as a cacher, to just take care of maintenance rather than reporting it. A bunch of ziploc bags and some paper can work wonders. Needs Archived I would do only for situations where the cache site is now dangerous or illegal or maybe if there were multiple Needs Maintenance logs and the hider has not been active on the website for a year or more.

I have never posted needs maintenance or needs archived for a cache I didn't find . . . there are lots of hard hides out there and I can suck at caching.

There are all kinds of ways to play this game but maybe this is a helpful perspective. For sure, agree with tonkaMn that NO followup with reviewers is warranted . . . unless the cache is in a minefield, just let them handle it via the process. They're all volunteers and do an excellent job.

I don't know any of the details of why you're posting needs maintenance or needs archived, but the ratio that you're submitting is way higher than I've done (looks like more than 1 in 10 caches?) I have around 1300 finds and I have 1 needs archived and 3 needs maintenance.

I usually only post needs maintenance if there are serious problems with the cache (broken, no lid . . . ) If the log is wet or full I might mention that in a found it log, or ideally I will just replace it myself with the supplies I have. That is one of the nicest things you can do as a cacher, to just take care of maintenance rather than reporting it. A bunch of ziploc bags and some paper can work wonders. Needs Archived I would do only for situations where the cache site is now dangerous or illegal or maybe if there were multiple Needs Maintenance logs and the hider has not been active on the website for a year or more.

I have never posted needs maintenance or needs archived for a cache I didn't find . . . there are lots of hard hides out there and I can suck at caching.

There are all kinds of ways to play this game but maybe this is a helpful perspective. For sure, agree with tonkaMn that NO followup with reviewers is warranted . . . unless the cache is in a minefield, just let them handle it via the process. They're all volunteers and do an excellent job.

All I can say is that you apparently have had much better luck than I have. I regularly find containers with missing lids, filled with water, with missing magnets, limb hooks about to fall off, log books that are absolutely full, or are otherwise in need of maintenance that I am unable to provide in the field.

I only post a "Needs Maintenance" request if the cache is at risk of being damaged so as to prevent a future cacher from finding it and making a successful log. I have found that many cache owners do not monitor every log as it comes in, but they do pay attention to "Needs Maintenance" requests.

When I am able to replace a ziplock bag or a water-logged log book, I have done so. I have done cache maintenance in the field more than two dozen times this summer, and I typically include this as part of my log. My caching pack is always filled with spare batteries, a flashlight, an antenna-style magnet, an antenna-style mirror, a paper clip, bug repellant, three or four spare log books, three or four ziplock bags of various sizes, some odd trade goods, a very loud whistle, a spare pen, some zip-ties, and occasionally some camouflage tape.

Only today, I hunted for seven caches, and found five. One of them was a half-gallon zip-lock freezer bag lying on the ground at the edge of Diamond Lake, in an area that floods in the spring. The log was dry, the bag contents were fine, there was a blue lid lying nearby, but the container itself appeared to be missing. I trust you agree that a "Needs Maintenance" log was merited?

I have never logged a "Needs Archived" for a log I didn't find, just because I didn't find it. I have entered an Archive log when I know where the cache should be, and I find that it is missing or I find broken shards of it spread out on the ground, and the cache owner has not logged into the site for months and does not respond to direct personal messages and/or multiple Needs Maintenance logs.

I suggest it happens more than you realize, either that or I have some sort of weird cache curse. I can only think of one circumstance of a Needs Maintenance log where there was no real concern, but even so the cache owner thanked me.

The reason I raised my question is because I entered a couple of Archive recommendations at the beginning of this mont. It was evident that some of them were dealt with, because the reviewer posted a note which in one case anyway informed the cache owner that they should act within the next 30 or 60 days or the cache will be archived. However, in one case there was no note posted, and so I became concerned that there was some sort of issue.

Everyone plays their own way, but I think I've only logged one NEEDS MAINTENANCE, and that was on a cache where there were "No Trespassing" signs, a friend of mine was questioned by the landowner, and the CO ignored my emails for clarification if the cache was placed with permission.

Rather than posting a NEEDS MAINTENANCE, I generally will simply write into the log that the logbook is toast, lid is broken, or whatever. I figure that is fair warning for the CO to do the right thing without the NEEDS MAINTENANCE attribute being attached to the cache.